Full Renault Arkana Review - The French Resistance

Background Renault over the years has pioneered various completely new market niches - think Avantime, Twizy, Clio V6 and so on. It's nearly always been a disaster. Where the company has usually done much better is in properly developing an existing idea - think Clio, Scenic and Captur. So the auspices are good for this car, the Arkana. It hails from an existing but relatively undeveloped market niche, that for the mid-sized coupe-SUV - which is the sort of thing that Renault's design department thrives on. So far, only premium European brands have launched models in this segment - think BMW X4, Audi Q5 Sportback and Mercedes GLC Coupe. The Arkana is sized somewhere between these cars and slightly smaller coupe-SUVs like BMW's X2 and the Audi Q3 Sportback Driving Experience Because the Arkana rides on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance's CMF-B compact car platform, which is also used for the Clio and Captur, you'd expect it to borrow engines from those models - and of course it does. Both units develop 140hp and are petrol powered - but each is very different. Things kick off with a turbocharged 1.3-litre four-cylinder 12v TCe 140 mild-hybrid petrol unit, which sends drive to the front wheels via a dual-clutch auto gearbox. It makes 62mph from rest in 9.8s en route to 127mph. And if you can afford a bit more? Well Renault had the option here to install either of its 1.6-litre E-Tech full-electrified powerplants, either the self-charging Prius-like one from the Clio or the PHEV plug-in one from the Captur. It's opted (from launch anyway) for the Clio's self-charging unit, which has two electric motors and a 1.2 kWh lithium-ion battery. It sends drive through a clever F1-derived clutch-less dogbox auto transmission, which Renault reckons is more efficient and smoother than a conventional automatic. 62mph from rest takes 10.8s en route to 107mph. The auto-only powertrain format tells you most of what you need to know about the emphasis on comfort rather than drive dynamics here - but virtually all models in this segment are sold with auto transmission anyway. A nod to autonomous drive technology is delivered by the availability of Renault's 'Motorway and Traffic Jam Companion' - an autonomous drive setting which can assume control of the car's throttle, brakes and steering on the motorway. Design and Build SUV credentials are endorsed by 190mm of ground clearance, plus rugged front and rear skid plates and wheel arches. The five-door bodyshell measures 4,568mm in length and 1,571mm in height and it's screwed together, not in France but in Renault's factory in Busan, South Korea. Inside, the front of cabin experience strives for a premium feel, which to some extent is superficially achieved. There's certainly the required level of digitalisation, with a digital instrument cluster of either 4.2, 7.0 or 10.2-inches in size and a central touchscreen that can be either 7.0 or 9.3-inches, depending on trim. It's a practical cabin too, with useful touches like large front door pockets which can accommodate 1.5-litre water bottles. Thanks to a relatively lengthy 2,720mm wheelbase, the rear seat has legroom that's close to what you'd get in a much pricier Q5 or X4. And there's a 513-litre boot (122-litres bigger than that of a Clio), which falls to 438-litres in the hybrid model. Market and Model Pricing starts at just over £25,000 and runs up to just over £30,000 and there's a choice of three trim levels - 'Iconic', 'S Edition' and 'R.S. Line'. There's a £1,300 premium to go from the TCe 140 engine to the E-Tech hybrid unit. All versions get a decent standard of media connectivity, with the expected 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring systems, plus over-the-air infotainment screen updates and live traffic updates. Other standard features include adaptive cruise control, an active emergency braking system, lane keeping assist and a traffic sign recognition system. At the top of the range, as mentioned, sits the sporty 'R.S. Line' trim-level that Renault thinks a lot of Arkana customers will want. Variants trimmed in this way stand apart with a front splitter, red coachlines, black alloy wheels and a more aggressive rear bumper that incorporates a pair of chrome exhaust outlets. Inside, Arkana 'R.S. Line' models get contrasting red stitching on the seats and steering wheel, a black headliner, aluminium pedals, special red-striped seat belts and carbon-effect coverings for the dashboard and door cards. Across the range, customers can choose from various cosmetic extras, such as a contrasting black roof, three alloy wheel designs in either 17-inch or 18-inch rim sizes and seven body colours - including an 'R.S. Line'-exclusive 'Valencia Orange' paint finish.